Video: NextGen airplane GPS comes into view on National Aviation Day

Dennis Schaal, Skift

- Aug 18, 2012 10:30 pm

Skift Take

If Democratic and Republican politicians are truly concerned about the nation’s economic vitality, not to mention aviation safety, then they should ensure that NextGen and FAA air traffic controllers don’t become the fall guys.

— Dennis Schaal

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Satellite-based global positioning systems are not just for car-services like Uber and the latest mobile app keen on detecting your location.

On National Aviation Day, which marks Orville Wright’s birthday on August 19, 1871, the Next-Generation Air Transportation System, a partnership between the FAA and the airlines, is slowly beginning to take shape.

Over the Summer, for example, JetBlue began using NextGen’s satellite-based system for approaches to runways 13L and 13R at JFK with the airline’s Airbus A320 fleet, and became the first FAA-approved carrier to operate such flights at the airport.